The baoli which was discovered in 2010-11, has undergone eight months of rigourous work.NEW DELHI: DDA has decided to modify the Delhi Urban Heritage Foundation Regulations, 1999, to safeguard “tangible and intangible heritage” of the city. According to officials, the move is aimed at promoting restoration and reuse of buildings notified by municipal corporations.

The land-owning agency proposes to bring baolis (step wells), water bodies, old documents, books, maps, etc, under the ambit of the regulations. “The regulations have to be updated according to the current norms for heritage conservation. A need was felt to clearly define the objects, which can be covered. We have added new categories like preservation of documents, rare books and old maps,” said a DDA official.

The new regulations, once notified, will be used by Delhi Urban Heritage Foundation to help repair and maintain the corporation-notified heritage structures. “The aim is to conserve such structures, gardens, etc, ” added the official.

The erstwhile MCD had approved a list of more than 760 private and public heritage structures in the city, which are not protected by Archaeological Survey of India. Though the civic agency has a provision to sanction funds for the restoration work of these buildings, the fund has been lying unused for years.

DDA officials said once the new regulations were notified, the corporations can revive some of the public structures and use it for remunerative projects. “There are several public structures, which are in urgent need of repair. But we are not able to do anything because of technical problems. With the new regulations, we hope things will streamline,” said a North Corporation official.

For the first time, the agency has included intangible heritage in the regulations. According to Unesco, intangible cultural heritage includes oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts, among others. Though the focus is largely going to be on tangible heritage, DDA officials said, efforts would be made to create awareness about the intangible one.